Rebates offered for vehicle chargers at home and at work

Applications are now being taken for rebates that will cover a large part of the cost of electric car chargers installed at residential buildings and workplaces.

The B.C. government has a $1.85 million fund for Plug In B.C., and it’s accepting applications for vehicle charging stations installed after Feb. 1, 2018. B.C. residents can request the rebate after the purchase and installation of the charging station for a single-family home or duplex. That rebate covers up to 75 per cent of the costs of a Level 2 charging station (208-240 volt), up to a maximum of $750.

For a multi-unit residential building, the rebate covers 75 per cent of the cost up to $4,000. Those rebates must be applied for in advance, for one or more stations.

Workplace rebates have now been added, covering 50 per cent of costs up to $4,000 for each Level 2 station installed. This also requires advance application.

Plug In B.C. is handing out the rebates on a first-come, first-serve basis as long as the provincial money lasts, or until March 31, 2020. Rebate decisions will be subject to fair geographical distribution of all regions of the province, says the Fraser Basin Council, which is administering the program.

The B.C. government also offers point-of-sale rebates for clean energy vehicles, up to $5,000 off the final vehicle price for a qualifying battery electric or hybrid electric vehicle, and up to $6,000 for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. There is also a rebate program for eligible specialty vehicles such as electric motorcycles, forklifts and buses.